Robot receptionist: what it is and the cost

A robot receptionist is a robot at a front desk that greets visitors, answers their questions and tells staff who has arrived. A small automatic robot costs about $4,500 to buy, while a robot with a person behind it costs $10 to $20 an hour.

Prices checked in November 2026. They change often; check the linked pages.

What a robot receptionist does

A robot receptionist does the talking part of the front desk. It greets each visitor who comes in, answers common questions about the site, and gives directions to a room, a floor or a person. When a visitor has come to see a staff member, it announces the visitor to that person. It can also cover the hours when the desk is empty, such as nights and weekends.

What it does not do

A robot receptionist does not replace every task at the desk. It does not handle packages or keys unless staff do that step, and it does not open a locked door unless your door system does that step. It also does not act as a security guard, and it does not give medical or legal advice.

Plan who does these steps before the robot arrives.

The two kinds

Fully automatic

The robot runs a script or an AI voice, and no person is behind it.

One example is temi. The reseller RobotLAB lists the Wi-Fi model at $4,499 and the cellular model at $5,499, before tariffs, and describes temi as a fully autonomous robot. Temi greets visitors, answers questions on a touchscreen and leads guests to saved locations.

A screen can do a similar job without a robot, which is often called a virtual front desk. ALICE Receptionist lists plans from $199 to $499 a month, billed annually. The plans cover visitor check-in, badge printing and calls to employees, though some features need extra hardware or fees.

An automatic robot or kiosk is the better choice when visitors ask the same few questions, when the main task is sign-in and a badge, or when the budget is small and fixed.

A robot with a person behind it

A trained person sees, hears and speaks through the robot. Starlife Bella is this kind.

This kind is the better choice when visitors ask open questions that a script cannot predict, or when they speak many languages. It also suits a desk where a visitor may be upset or confused and needs judgement, and a desk that is part of how guests judge your brand.

Cost compared with a staffed desk

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics gives the median wage for receptionists as $18.27 an hour in May 2025, which is $38,010 a year. But a wage is not the full cost of an employee. In June 2026, wages were 70.0% of employer cost in private industry, and benefits were the other 30.0%.

The calculation below is an estimate and you should not read it as a quote. The example is an overnight desk: 8 hours a night, 7 nights a week, which is 56 hours a week.

Read the table with care, for these reasons:

• The 70.0% share is an average for all private industry jobs and is not specific to receptionists.
• The wage is a national median for all shifts, so night pay and local pay differ.
• The estimate leaves out hiring, training and cover for sick days.
• At the top of its range, Bella costs a little more than the median wage alone and less than the wage with benefits, so ask for your price before you compare.
• A receptionist handles packages and keys, and a robot does not.

For Bella you pay by the hour, with no big contract, and Starlife provides the robot pilot, the driving and the maintenance. See pricing.

Where it fits

A robot receptionist is useful at these kinds of site:

• In offices, it greets visitors and announces them to the host. See reception.
• In clinics and hospital lobbies, it greets and gives directions, but it gives no medical advice. See healthcare.
• In hotels, it welcomes guests and answers questions in their language. See hotels.
• In residential lobbies, it covers the hours with no concierge.
• In car dealerships, it greets each visitor at the door and calls the right salesperson.

Where it does not fit

A robot receptionist is a poor fit for:

• a desk whose main work is packages, keys or cash
• a site that needs a licensed security guard at the door
• an outdoor entrance, because Bella works indoors only
• a lobby with steps between the door and the desk

How Starlife Bella works at a front desk

Starlife Bella is a humanoid service robot with a friendly face and a chest display, and it moves on a wheeled base.

Bella is not autonomous. A trained robot pilot controls it live from a laptop, with AI assistance, but guests hear the robot's own voice. Bella speaks more than 30 languages, with live translation both ways.

Because Bella has built-in 5G, it needs no customer Wi-Fi. It needs one power outlet and runs a full 8-hour shift on one charge. The specs are on the Bella page.

Five buyer questions

Is a robot receptionist cheaper than a person? Sometimes. An automatic robot or kiosk costs less than a wage. A robot with a person behind it costs $10 to $20 an hour, so you have to compare it with your own staff cost.

Can it cover the overnight front desk? Yes, and this is a common use, because you pay only for the hours you book. Decide first who handles keys, packages and emergencies at night.

Does it need our Wi-Fi? That depends on the product. Bella has built-in 5G and needs no customer Wi-Fi, and the temi cellular model also has a mobile connection.

Is a person watching our lobby? With an automatic robot, no. With Bella, yes: a trained robot pilot sees and hears the lobby while Bella is on shift, and you should tell visitors and staff this.

How fast can we start? For Bella, the lead time is about one week, and the normal start is a 14-day pilot. Bella is available in the United States and Germany.

If you want to see Bella at a front desk, we can show you. Book a demo.